Mitchell's injury could be a Blessing in Disguise

[IL Wildcat]

I was just thinking about this when I was reading where Calipari said Mitchell is nearing a return and that he was planning to return to practice Wednesday. Mitchell was playing very well early in the season- making threes and often facilitating offense from the high post. He was very good early in the season. Then we started seeing a drop in his production and we find out he's been dealing with a back injury. He comes back from that only to hurt a shoulder and miss several more games. I'm wondering if the extra rest Mitchell has gotten because of this shoulder issue may have done quite a bit of good for his back, as well. Having a fully healthy Mitchell could be a huge boost for UK in the postseason.

The other thing that has happened is our other players have been forced into action at a very critical time of the season. We've played some key games in his absence, including Gonzaga, at Auburn, at LSU, Alabama, and at Miss St. Those are big games at a critical time. Adou Thiero has been a big beneficiary of the extra playing time. Justin Edwards had a huge break-out playing the 4 spot vs Alabama. I think Ivisic has benefited some as well- Mitchell likely would have been the 5 in that great offensive lineup we've seen a couple times. So, the improvement we've seen from these other guys is also a big benefit to the team.

Just a thought.

 

[mcwildcats04]

I was just thinking about this when I was reading where Calipari said Mitchell is nearing a return and that he was planning to return to practice Wednesday. Mitchell was playing very well early in the season- making threes and often facilitating offense from the high post. He was very good early in the season. Then we started seeing a drop in his production and we find out he's been dealing with a back injury. He comes back from that only to hurt a shoulder and miss several more games. I'm wondering if the extra rest Mitchell has gotten because of this shoulder issue may have done quite a bit of good for his back, as well. Having a fully healthy Mitchell could be a huge boost for UK in the postseason.

The other thing that has happened is our other players have been forced into action at a very critical time of the season. We've played some key games in his absence, including Gonzaga, at Auburn, at LSU, Alabama, and at Miss St. Those are big games at a critical time. Adou Thiero has been a big beneficiary of the extra playing time. Justin Edwards had a huge break-out playing the 4 spot vs Alabama. I think Ivisic has benefited some as well- Mitchell likely would have been the 5 in that great offensive lineup we've seen a couple times. So, the improvement we've seen from these other guys is also a big benefit to the team.

Just a thought.

Yep, I thought the same thing about the shoulder injury possibly allowing his back to fully heal. Hopefully when he finally comes back he's truly 100% and we manage his minutes enough so he stays that way the rest of the way.

 

[ManitouDan]

I'm good with him setting at this point , Play Z at the 4 ?

 

[mcwildcats04]

I'm good with him setting at this point , Play Z at the 4 ?

If we get early season Tre back (if we are to assume it's his back issues that led to his poor play), he's absolutely a critical piece to the team and deserves significant minutes. If not, and he still has play issues, we've seen enough with the other guys and they got important experience while Tre was out, that Cal will hopefully ride with the players who are playing the best on a given night.

 

[Titpwhami2014]

My thought on Mitchell is as follows. If Big Z can continue to improve on defense — I thought he held his own despite Mississippi State’s bully tactics — is there really a need for Ugo or Bradshaw to play major minutes? Especially if neither is going to block shots? Would rather play two guys at the 5 who can score. Especially if the difference in defensive production is minimal.

 

[IL Wildcat]

I'm good with him setting at this point , Play Z at the 4 ?

I definitely don't want him to return playing 30 minutes a game, but if he's healthy, it would be great to have him available at the 4 or even the 5 for 20 minutes or so. He might also be the best post defender on the team. In my opinion, we would have won that Gonzaga game with a healthy Mitchell. And bear in mind, before that 3-game slump of 3pt shooting, Mitchell was shooting about 38% from 3. He's a stretch 4 and is very effective in certain games. I wouldn't discard his contributions so quickly. I don't want him leading the team in minutes, like he was early on (and which likely contributed to his back issue), but he is a 6-9 231lb forward who can do pretty much everything. Aside from Sheppard, he may be the best passer on the team- and don't forget, he's the leading rebounder on the team, by a pretty significant margin.

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

Cats need Mitchell back but preferrably in a role coming off the bench.

 

[yoshukai]

I'm good with him setting at this point , Play Z at the 4 ?

I fear that Z is the one whose minutes will be used by Mitchell.

 

[yoshukai]

My thought on Mitchell is as follows. If Big Z can continue to improve on defense — I thought he held his own despite Mississippi State’s bully tactics — is there really a need for Ugo or Bradshaw to play major minutes? Especially if neither is going to block shots? Would rather play two guys at the 5 who can score. Especially if the difference in defensive production is minimal.

Absolutely.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Agree, because now z got to play through some mistakes and gain some confidence

 

[WildcatsAndBourbon]

I hate to be someone contributing to the, “Does every thread have to be about Cal,” dynamic, but that’s almost unavoidable for this subject. I’m not usually a Cal Basher, but during his entire tenure his stubbornness with rotations and not letting some players off the bench has been one of his biggest deficiencies. This year’s injuries have forced his hand with who is on the court (especially not pulling bench players after 1 mistake), and pretty much every injury has lead to a net gain for the team as a whole.

 

[TankedCat]

I worry about the players finally learning to play with each other, then bringing in Mitchell and it disrupts the team.

 

[TTTblue24]

Who knows when he comes back cause our injuries always last longer than other teams but he can’t start over thiero nor play more mins than him either. He can back him up and play 10-15 mins if he’s going to be early season Tre but I’d be shocked if he plays before the SEC tournament.

 

[Untouchables22]

I was just thinking about this when I was reading where Calipari said Mitchell is nearing a return and that he was planning to return to practice Wednesday. Mitchell was playing very well early in the season- making threes and often facilitating offense from the high post. He was very good early in the season. Then we started seeing a drop in his production and we find out he's been dealing with a back injury. He comes back from that only to hurt a shoulder and miss several more games. I'm wondering if the extra rest Mitchell has gotten because of this shoulder issue may have done quite a bit of good for his back, as well. Having a fully healthy Mitchell could be a huge boost for UK in the postseason.

The other thing that has happened is our other players have been forced into action at a very critical time of the season. We've played some key games in his absence, including Gonzaga, at Auburn, at LSU, Alabama, and at Miss St. Those are big games at a critical time. Adou Thiero has been a big beneficiary of the extra playing time. Justin Edwards had a huge break-out playing the 4 spot vs Alabama. I think Ivisic has benefited some as well- Mitchell likely would have been the 5 in that great offensive lineup we've seen a couple times. So, the improvement we've seen from these other guys is also a big benefit to the team.

Just a thought.

It’s VERY obvious now that unless we are playing an incredibly rugged and physical team like (Auburn, Houston) this team needs to go small. Thiero and Edwards at PF and Big Z and Mitchell at C. If there is foul trouble we’ve got Ugo and Bradshaw in reserve. But playing smaller enables 6’6 Reeves to play SF with Reed and Dilly/Wagner and with those Centers totally unclogs the paint for driving lanes. A stretch Center with a smaller PF unlocks the full offensive potential as we saw against Alabama.

 

[crestcat]

Love Tre, started a couple of threads about him him when the season started. I thought he was a steadying force for these young players to revolve around. I think having those 35 minutes to fill gave us a chance to see what the tall guys can do

If he can come back and play like he did early on it gives us options for what kind of team we put on the floor.

 

[IL Wildcat]

Love Tre, started a couple of threads about him him when the season started. I thought he was a steadying force for these young players to revolve around. I think having those 35 minutes to fill gave us a chance to see what the tall guys can do

If he can come back and play like he did early on it gives us options for what kind of team we put on the floor.

Exactly crestcat. That was my point. I don't want Mitchell playing 35 minutes or even 30. But there have been several games where he was the best player on the floor, lest we forget. I think sometimes we get enamored with the unknown and those who have shown potential and we do it to the neglect of the guy who has already shown he can do the job. It's the "bird in the hand" adage. If Mitchell is healthy, he should be in the rotation. And the bonus is that we got other guys time and experience in his absence.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Tre was almost certainly playing poorly due to his injuries. I expect early season Tre back if he plays when fully healed.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Cal overplayed Mitchell. I said early in the season that he would end up hurt. 35 minutes a game is too much. It wears you out and makes you more susceptible to injury.

There’s no reason to play Mitchell that much, especially now that we have three 7 footers at the 5, Thiero at the 4, and Edwards has shown his ability to play as a small ball 4.

Mitchell should only play 20-25 minutes max when he returns.

 

[jameslee32]

Logically, the only guy at this point who could lose minutes is probably Bradshaw but I agree with a poster last week. I'm not sure playing Mitchell 30+ minutes is still doable. I only see Reeves and Reed playing 30 minutes from here on out. But if someone gets as hot as Edwards did, you play them.

 

[CatPhight]

If TM can come back healthy and play like he did earlier in the season, it could be a difference maker.

 

[IL Wildcat]

Logically, the only guy at this point who could lose minutes is probably Bradshaw but I agree with a poster last week. I'm not sure playing Mitchell 30+ minutes is still doable. I only see Reeves and Reed playing 30 minutes from here on out. But if someone gets as hot as Edwards did, you play them.

Yep, I think you can take Mitchell, Edwards, and Ivisic all with that same approach. If Mitchell is healthy and he comes in a game and he's playing well and making shots, you play him. Same thing with Edwards. He has shown he can go off. Same with Ivisic. These guys are not likely to be great every game, but they are all able to excel in certain kinds of games and against certain kinds of opponents. So, when their day comes, it's good they've shown they can get it done.

 

[LmdCat]

I fear that Z is the one whose minutes will be used by Mitchell.

Yeah, our coach seems to like those who play below the rim. Prior to his injury, the ball was sticking to his hands a lot. I see no need to bring him back at this point. The team has been playing well without him. The last thing the team needs is another player coming back from an injury unable to score.

 

[NociHTTP]

Tre is too slow, lacks a motor. I think he would negate Z.

 

[LmdCat]

Tre is too slow, lacks a motor. I think he would negate Z.

I got blasted early in the season for criticizing Mitchell for not hustling back on defense when it was clear that he wasn't giving a good effort.

 

[jameslee32]

Yep, I think you can take Mitchell, Edwards, and Ivisic all with that same approach. If Mitchell is healthy and he comes in a game and he's playing well and making shots, you play him. Same thing with Edwards. He has shown he can go off. Same with Ivisic. These guys are not likely to be great every game, but they are all able to excel in certain kinds of games and against certain kinds of opponents. So, when their day comes, it's good they've shown they can get it done.

I think we have about 6 guys that can take over a game. I can see Thiero impacting a game equally as well but maybe not when scoring the ball himself. When those scoring runs happen, he's usually involved. It's hard to replicate his physicality on this team.

 

[EliteBlue]

I definitely don't want him to return playing 30 minutes a game, but if he's healthy, it would be great to have him available at the 4 or even the 5 for 20 minutes or so. He might also be the best post defender on the team. In my opinion, we would have won that Gonzaga game with a healthy Mitchell. And bear in mind, before that 3-game slump of 3pt shooting, Mitchell was shooting about 38% from 3. He's a stretch 4 and is very effective in certain games. I wouldn't discard his contributions so quickly. I don't want him leading the team in minutes, like he was early on (and which likely contributed to his back issue), but he is a 6-9 231lb forward who can do pretty much everything. Aside from Sheppard, he may be the best passer on the team- and don't forget, he's the leading rebounder on the team, by a pretty significant margin.

This. I hope Cals mentality of “Tre only comes out when he wants out” is gone. Thiero has proven too valuable to not play some at the 4 (even back to a big impact in the UNC game). Edwards is also better at the 4. Neither Thiero or Edwards should get hardly any minutes as a 3 when you have a backcourt of the 4 guards we have.

But Tre is extremely valuable especially in physical post games so 20-25 min between the 4 and small ball 5 is plenty

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

I like that Trey can gonget us a bucket in the post. He is also a good passer.

Was it his shooting shoulder or off shoulder?

 

[fatguy87]

Mitchell should be playing 20 to 30 minutes at the 4 and 5.

The primary rotation:

Shep
Dilly
Reeves
Thiero
Mitchell
Z
DJ
Edwards

Top 5 lineup:

Shep
Dilly
Reeves
Thiero/Mitchell
Mitchell/Z

We want to maximize time the Big 3 guards play together, but we may not want to take them all off the court at once, fearing that the team will fall apart. We could sub in DJ and Edwards for 2 of the Big 3. One of the Big 3 stays on the court while the others take a 3-4 minute break. Then the the 2 on the bench sub in for one of DJ and Edwards and one of the Big 3. He gets a 3-4 minute break and then subs back in for DJ/Edwards. That's 12-14 minutes with the Big 3 on the court together. The 4 and 5 work with their own rotation. There are 3 players for 2 positions.

If we want to scrape more minutes of them playing together, then the whole backcourt should sub out, bring Mitchell in to play the 4 and slide Thiero to the 3. DJ and Edwards play the 1 and 2. That group plays for 3-4 minutes, and then the Big 3 sub back in. We have to go 3-4 minutes without any of the Big 3 on the court, but we can play them together for 16-17 minutes a half that way. Each of the Big 3 play 32-34 minutes in a game all together.

Those represent ideal circumstances free of foul trouble, injuries, mental breakdowns, etc. Minutes can be modified to accommodate misfortune or urgency. In the tournament, we likely will have to rely on our top players more. We can squeeze more minutes out of the Big 3 when necessary.

That's really all we need to play. Ugo is situational. Burks and Bradshaw are "Break glass in case of emergency."

 

[CapnBlubs]

I got blasted early in the season for criticizing Mitchell for not hustling back on defense when it was clear that he wasn't giving a good effort.

I can't tell how much of it is lack of ability to move quickly and how much of it is lack of willingness. Either way, he does not run fast enough or jump high enough to keep up with the rest of our team (or the opposition). It's painful to watch at times. I feel like I (and I'm in BAD shape right now) could outjump and outrun him.

 

[caneintally]

LOL at people acting like healthy Tre isn't a total beast . He was the 2nd best player when healthy on this team, Not 2nd most talented , he is like 7th in that regard , but damn did he put us on his back many times early on this season and his J is wet when he is zoned in....

 

[Greatestalltime]

Tre is a jag. He’s ok. Thats it. He's not great on D and doesn’t rebound very well. He’s an ok shooter.

Other players give us much more imo, but he has potential to have a good shooting game once in a while.

 

[CincyUKFan]

If we get early season Tre back (if we are to assume it's his back issues that led to his poor play), he's absolutely a critical piece to the team and deserves significant minutes. If not, and he still has play issues, we've seen enough with the other guys and they got important experience while Tre was out, that Cal will hopefully ride with the players who are playing the best on a given night.

Early season Tre didn’t play defense either.

 

[CincyUKFan]

I was just thinking about this when I was reading where Calipari said Mitchell is nearing a return and that he was planning to return to practice Wednesday. Mitchell was playing very well early in the season- making threes and often facilitating offense from the high post. He was very good early in the season. Then we started seeing a drop in his production and we find out he's been dealing with a back injury. He comes back from that only to hurt a shoulder and miss several more games. I'm wondering if the extra rest Mitchell has gotten because of this shoulder issue may have done quite a bit of good for his back, as well. Having a fully healthy Mitchell could be a huge boost for UK in the postseason.

The other thing that has happened is our other players have been forced into action at a very critical time of the season. We've played some key games in his absence, including Gonzaga, at Auburn, at LSU, Alabama, and at Miss St. Those are big games at a critical time. Adou Thiero has been a big beneficiary of the extra playing time. Justin Edwards had a huge break-out playing the 4 spot vs Alabama. I think Ivisic has benefited some as well- Mitchell likely would have been the 5 in that great offensive lineup we've seen a couple times. So, the improvement we've seen from these other guys is also a big benefit to the team.

Just a thought.

I think the blessing in disguise wasn’t what you thought it was. Now he’s been reduced to sympathy minutes and he might not log more than 5 to 10 minutes in a close NCAA tournament game.

 

[Fox2monk]

I was just thinking about this when I was reading where Calipari said Mitchell is nearing a return and that he was planning to return to practice Wednesday. Mitchell was playing very well early in the season- making threes and often facilitating offense from the high post. He was very good early in the season. Then we started seeing a drop in his production and we find out he's been dealing with a back injury. He comes back from that only to hurt a shoulder and miss several more games. I'm wondering if the extra rest Mitchell has gotten because of this shoulder issue may have done quite a bit of good for his back, as well. Having a fully healthy Mitchell could be a huge boost for UK in the postseason.

The other thing that has happened is our other players have been forced into action at a very critical time of the season. We've played some key games in his absence, including Gonzaga, at Auburn, at LSU, Alabama, and at Miss St. Those are big games at a critical time. Adou Thiero has been a big beneficiary of the extra playing time. Justin Edwards had a huge break-out playing the 4 spot vs Alabama. I think Ivisic has benefited some as well- Mitchell likely would have been the 5 in that great offensive lineup we've seen a couple times. So, the improvement we've seen from these other guys is also a big benefit to the team.

Just a thought.

He’s been rough, I really hope he gets it back because there will be a game where we need him. He still doesn’t look close to healthy to me.

 

[Fox2monk]

Tre is a jag. He’s ok. Thats it. He's not great on D and doesn’t rebound very well. He’s an ok shooter.

Other players give us much more imo, but he has potential to have a good shooting game once in a while.

Right now yes, overall no. But at this point Edwards has earned his 4 spot minutes until he proves he’s healthy and back.

 

[Fox2monk]

I definitely don't want him to return playing 30 minutes a game, but if he's healthy, it would be great to have him available at the 4 or even the 5 for 20 minutes or so. He might also be the best post defender on the team. In my opinion, we would have won that Gonzaga game with a healthy Mitchell. And bear in mind, before that 3-game slump of 3pt shooting, Mitchell was shooting about 38% from 3. He's a stretch 4 and is very effective in certain games. I wouldn't discard his contributions so quickly. I don't want him leading the team in minutes, like he was early on (and which likely contributed to his back issue), but he is a 6-9 231lb forward who can do pretty much everything. Aside from Sheppard, he may be the best passer on the team- and don't forget, he's the leading rebounder on the team, by a pretty significant margin.

That’s what we miss more, I wish he rebounded even better out of his area but he’s better than the others usually. His post defense is worlds better. I say let Z get the minutes until Trey is 100% and rotate the 2 at the 5.

UGO blocks shots here and there but I’ve never seen a dude like him fall for so many fakes, give up line drives when no blocking a shot, and rebounding a miss to not dunk it and miss a layup. It’s maddening. Bradshaw has been playing tougher recently, I’m liking his spot minutes more.